Critic’s Note: Shim Youngchurl has a very unique position in Korean contemporary art. Shim had her first solo exhibition in 1983 with a series of wood sculptures titled Comb, which showed combs in transformed shapes. Shim was inspired by the combs we use every day. Since then, Shim has crossed over into many different genres of art, from installations to new media, holograms, and performance art to environmental art, not to mention sculpture. She is truly an artist of colorful experience. She has dealt with a wide range of subjects, from individual exploration into femininity to religious messages, sexuality to historical incidents, all of which testify to her uniqueness. Shim Youngchurl’s career of thirty years as a contemporary artist shows diversity of genres and subjects, which I think originates from her natural passion for creative work. She is now in her mid-fifties, but her passion for creation remains as bright as ever.
Kim Young-ho (Art Critic, Professor of Chung-Ang University)